So where has the activity gone?
 

This site 5 years ago was HOPPING. Last year it was a bit less. Now I think I can hear crickets. Everyone hop on the "My fitness pal" or Fitbit or the like forums? Leaving this one to slowly die out? (As really, how DO people find this site? I found it 15 years ago (ish) when there weren't many alternatives - it was even an old platform!

I don't know what happened but yes, it's certainly gotten quiet.

Facebook is my guess :( I've noticed the same thing with another forum I belong to, unrelated to weight loss. I think people just aren't interested in forums much anymore, which is a shame because this place keeps me on track!

In any case, at least you're back and adding a few more chirps to the crickets :)

But, from what I can see 3FC FB page is pretty dead too? Or am I missing something?

Or OTHER FB weightloss groups? More specialize groups? Meh...

Probably other Facebook groups, not necessarily 3FC. I'm in one for 5:2 (form of intermittent fasting) and it is CRAZY active, too active actually!

And not even just FB. People can connect in so many ways these days, that they don't feel the need to come to a forum. But I think those other outlets lack the sense of community that we have here.

Community is what it's all about - but then, 90% of my job (now and for most of my career) is community builder just with different titles, but all with similar goals.

Yeah I think Facebook groups are where it is at these days. I am on a few other forums once in a while (not related to weight loss) and most of them are pretty quiet. Also, we tend to be busier at the beginning of the year and then there is some lull during summer, then the holidays seem to be a bit busier again.

I've been absent from this forum for about a year, just returned yesterday. I noticed a definite decline in the amount of activity in just the past year. But I agree, there really is a sense of community here that I haven't found anywhere else. 3FC is my go-to support system. :)

I had to post because I've been gone for a few months since having the baby, just so busy, and I admit when I do get some time I'm on FB!

But I agree this forum used to have a lot more traffic many years ago...I noticed this pregnancy the pregnant/nursing forum was basically dead the whole time, but with previous babies it felt like that forum was active.

I think at this point, I don't use this forum for weight loss like I used to, but its more like Cheers (Norm!)...I come here for the people I've known from here for a long time to chat...actually I spend more time in this forum, general chatter than the weight loss ones. Like suggested, I use a FB group for my weight loss efforts. Its a small group, but everyone is checking in multiple times a day, its easy to navigate from my phone and I can read and post quickly, hit the like button etc.

And since when does this site have a fb group?? I didn't know that!! I'll have to look it up. :)

OMG guys... the FB for this page is sad...we should get it up and going!! :) That would be a great way to get this forum going again. I never knew there wa a fb page for 3fc and I'm do check in here at the least every few weeks...we need to advertise it better!!

It would be better if 3FC also had a (private) group in addition to their regular page. I don't think I'd interact much on just the page since my friends would see my activity there. Who could we contact about getting one set up?

I need to find a more active group. This 3fc site is so slow, it's not motivating.

But I don't want a site that has HUGE turnover, and well, I was going to say wackodoodle diets, but some people may think a low carb, somewhat intermittent fasting diet is "wacky!" (it's just what works for me!)

That's what I wonder. I never really joined the FB group because there was enough activity here, but I remember a LOT of people on FB then for 3fc - or at least several people I knew from particular threads. Now... even more crickets than here!

I don't even know HOW to search for FB weight loss groups that would be meaningful to me. THing with a forum is you can find threads/pockets of interest.

Like I do low carb (ish)
I do a form of intermittent fasting
I dabble in different areas of fitness depending on my mood and fitness level. So... I want one stop shopping!!!! Not 5 different FB groups to be part of the various sides of my weight loss tools.

I agree the group should be private or secret, I don't want people I know in real life knowing I'm posting on the 3fc facebook because then they could put 2 and 2 together and check the site. I've shared a lot of things on here because of the anonymity, and I don't mind the people from here seeing my real profile, but I don't want friends knowing... I wouldn't even join if it were closed because members are still visible to people not in the group.

And maybe there is a closed/private one and I can't find it!

So many things have changed since I first joined. I remember a lot of you. I still hunt you down now and then, for the inspiration.:carrot:

I have had some things change in my life, that's the way it goes.

Still working, trying to spend more time with grandkids. My Mom fell last week, laid in her kitchen for 36 hours before rescue. 5 hospital days later, my sisters and I, well, it's a long story. It will be ok.

As a very recent, WW leader, our group is struggling. The old people, are dedicated. Young, just want an app!

Seems to me, that the younger, want an app, data, data, data, instant, this or that, but are so busy being, on an app for this or that, or whatever it is they are doing, they have no clue, about, slowing down, and actually DOING something.

Apps, do not, feed the dog, apps do not change diapers, take out the trash, etc. Apps are a tool, nothing more, nothing less. It's how we choose to use it.

One thing I also forgot is that last year? year before last? There was an anti-virus program for Windows users that was falsely reporting the site as having malware. We investigated and determined it was a false positive. After that though, we did notice a large drop in the user population.

I'd also say that throughout the year, the interests ebb and flow as well. Summer is typically slower than other parts of the year.

Maybe everyone else got skinny??

I know I've stopped posting nearly as much as I use to. Most my posts the past few weeks have been confined to a single thread with a few exceptions. We bought a house and getting everything paints and situated to move has been hectic. I stopped posting in WW threads because I switched diet plans. Less time to cook with working more and it just wasn't something I was successfully sticking to, so I switched it up, at least until we're settled.

It was more active in general when I joined, or shortly thereafter, but that was also around the holidays. Most the folks that I keep up with I have on outside communications (Skype/Texts/MyFitnessPal). Those are all easier to do on the go, and with Skype and texts I don't have to rely on people coming to check the forums, or a particular thread. They'll get my message either way.

For right now, a lot of people may be going on vacation, kids are getting out of school.. typically people are a little more busy and spend less time on the computer.

Aw, the thought of this site losing activity makes me sad! I just signed up and I am really looking forward to the support. :)

It makes me sad as well, although I must admit that I'm another one that isn't here very much. There are things we wish we could change to try to bring people back (hopefully) but my hands are tied. When IB acquired the website several years ago, my role here was eliminated, other than in name only.

The site is usually slower this time of year. Summers grind the forum to a virtual halt, since so many of our members vacation or share their computers with the rest of the family when the kids are out of school. That said, this month has been slower than the month of May many years ago. Nelie brought up a good point that we lost a large chunk of members when the antivirus programs had misidentified something as malware and they did not correct it quick enough. Members fled and never returned.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when we created this community in 1997, there were literally only a handful of weight loss forums online. Us, Dottie's, Diet Talk, and Weight Watchers. WW had software problems and their members came here, and we grew extremely quickly. Since then, forums have cropped up online more quickly and are a dime a dozen. Social media is gradually squishing the forums, taking yet more of our members away.

There is a facebook page for 3FC, but we don't have groups. Facebook groups are fantastic, I even belong to a few (not weight or health related tho). The FB app makes it even easier.

People move on for a lot of reasons. For myself, I work long hours, help take care of my grandchildren, and now my mother's health is declining so I spend more time with her. None of that has anything to do with the state of the 3FC forum. Its' still a fantastic group of supportive people, even if it doesn't hop like it used to.

Thanks Suzanne! How weird to have a site in your name, but not be "part" of it!

But I think it will pick up if activity picks up. Too many other sites are too focused on ONE thing. I want one stop shopping! :-)

well don't leave, guys! That will just make things worse!

(Maybe everyone has been waiting for the return of BerryBlond?)

Seriously, I don't see how facebook could be a good substitute. Not a fan of facebook. at all. Let's increase our posting activity and see what happens, eh?

I love facebook - it's how I've kept in touch with (or better put - got back in touch) with people from Kindergarten on up. I moved quite a bit as a kid and as a married person. Without FB, I would feel so disconnected - even some of my job is working with FB, but... FB is not the same as a forum. Nope. No sirree!

yeah.....Facebook is where you lie to your friends...3FC is where you're honest with strangers....as the saying goes....ha

Yep the forum allows for something more like conversation. And a place for your avatar to air your deep, dark, secrets (which everyone in the world can read). It's interesting to see differences and commonalities in thought processes and behaviors.

I don't really know the answer. I am on weight related Facebook group. It is a closed group for WW members in this area. It is a very active group. I like this format better, though. I like being able to search for old threads and see things formatted by topic/thread and so on.

One thing that I have seen happen here in the forums I go to is that moderators seem almost non-existent. When I first game here, the moderators drove a lot of the discussion. Many years ago (I'm talking in the 90s) I was a Sysop at the Weight Management forum at Compuserve. A lot of our job was, of course, looking for and dealing with rules violations or answering member questions. But, a very primary part of our job was to start discussions and take part in discussions. In the areas I focused on, it was very much part of my role to help drive discussion. That seemed to be part of the focus here when I joined, but hasn't been for a long time in the areas that hang around out.

I really think that is a big part of the downturn in members' activity.

I came back after being gone for over a year and it seems like a ghost town! So sad that blogs don't work, it's killing me that I can't comment because an old blogging buddy of mine who is still blogging posted that her husband died. I so badly want to respond but I can't :'(

Very sad to see things are going downhill here in terms of numbers.

Koshka,

I'm not sure mods here ever drove the discussion. Generally, mods were active in their forums, supportive members, etc to become mods. Since its a volunteer position, it was usually someone who cared about the specific area and all that stuff. So you'd see mods posting just because that is how they came to be mods.

Right. I'm not saying it was ever required for mods to post a lot. But, in some forums when I was first here the mods were often posting, starting regular threads and maintaining some that were ongoing. I know that when I first got here the Weight Watchers forum had a mod specifically in that forum who was really active. But, then she moved to a different forum. For awhile there was no one specifically in that forum. Then one of the regular members became a mod there and really did post a lot and got people discussing more, but then she left. And we had another mod for awhile, but I haven't seen that mod posting in the forum for 2 years or so.

I think that when there is a mod specifically assigned to a forum and the mod is regularly posting and trying to grow the forum that it does help. I see that in some of the forums where mods are very active. That just seems to have lessened in the last couple of years. And, indeed, that may be due to lack of enough mods and being kind of thinly spread out. Not saying it is the fault of the mods. From my experience, I know that it is often a thankless job, very underappreciated.

I have never even been aware of who the mods are. I don't think it had anything to do with them being mods, but just people who seem active and then we're asked to be mods.

I'm posting less, although I should post more, primarily because work has gotten insane in the last year or so.

Consequently, I'm also up in weight and I probably need the help more than anyone else.

I haven't found another outlet -- everyone already posted the issues with FB and such -- and I love forums. I've loved them from before there was even a WWW and they were usenet groups.

*sigh*

I will try to be on more, but it is hard and I like the anonymity of the site. FB just isn't the same.

I'm wondering if there are too many subgroups on here that is spreading out members. Because I just read through this whole thread and most of you I don't recognize because we don't run in the same circles. It's not having so many subsections for specific support when there are a lot of us but now with less activity it seems to be too spread out and isolated. I mostly follow the 20-Somethings and Chicks Up For a Challenge groups. Occasionally I venture out. What if there was a way to unite those of us left (or as in my case, returning) just so we know whose out there.

Just trying to come up with some solutions.

Some people might not be aware that 3fc recently became a mobile friendly site, perhaps that amber advertised more? It's now easy to keep up with this site on the go however one trip up is that it's not possible to cue up to the most recent post of a subscribed conversation so you have to go there manually but otherwise the mobile site is fine.

With change in technology it's hard to keep an old site relevant. There has to be more engagement from moderators in perhaps bringing in guests. I'm part of a cooking forum that does this sort of thing. They have guest posters, giveaways, and live teleconferencing.

Another change that has affected foruming is the prevalence of blogs. People are very autonomous now on the Internet and everyone I know is starting a blog. That keeps someone very busy with no need to connect with forums.

I went through each of the support groups and found common threads that are not specific to that group but that could be great for everyone in the regular Weight Loss Support (and some are already there too). Maybe if we reserved those Support Group subsections for only their theme and kept these in the common room we can help bridge the gap with our shrinking forum.

The common threads are:
-Daily Weigh In for [specific month]
-Daily Check-In for [specific month]
-Year long accountability
-Let's get out of [specific weight range]

What do you guys think?

Eh that doesn't even matter, with the fact the blogs don't work properly or anything, makes me think that whoever runs the site after being bought out just wanted it to die out anyways. Happened to a forum I was a mod at. The site was full of people at one point, then it got bought out. The new owners basically shuttled traffic to their site and stopped supporting the forum, if you go there now it's a ghost town as well. The admin there (who btw they just stopped paying) even tried consolidating the groups but it didn't help.

Very sad as I used to love coming here.

I don't think its all that bad. It seemed to pick up a bit a few days after I posted (coincidental).

This thread is making me sad. This is the only forum that I have been apart of for all these years. I feel like some of the people I have grown to trust like friends. I have shared so much about myself here and have been given heart changing advice, not just on weight loss, but many issues I've faced in life. I joined this forum when I was 26, still controlled by and not wanting to heal from my ED. This was shortly after my first son was born. I was dealing with PPD. Over the years I have come to this site with issues of depression, the years of evaluations and eventual diagnosis of my aspergers son, the pregnancy of my 2nd, 3rd and 4th baby, 2 miscarriages, friend, family and even some marital struggles. Personal growth, reflection, my working through my binging and restricting and my journey to heal from my ED. And of course losing 50+ pounds after my 3 kids. Now I am over weight again after baby #4, and I have one more time of significant weight loss in front of me. I've come to feel more connected, especially with members that have been around for many years, even though I have never shared my real name or image. This was something I thought about doing after losing the weight for the last time. Anyway, I hope the long term members continue to come back and that new members that join see what a tight and supportive group this is and stay. I'm not around much right now because I just had a baby and I'm really busy with the kids, but I know over the next year as she gets a little older, my time will free up a bit and I'll be back more often. I hope the day doesn't come when people stop coming to 3fc. There are people on here that I would sad to never chat with again!

Glamour Girl, I feel sad as well and miss some of the people who used to post a few years ago. I hope wherever they are, they are well and happily maintaining.

I'm so glad to see you're still around. Congrats on the new baby girl, I'm happy for you!

I hope this forum is more active one day but sadly I doubt it will be. I find coming here and reading the posts to be a big motivator with weight loss.

Re
 

I'm on the mfp forums, but things flow by so fast it's really hard to keep up with things. It also doesn't seem as the discussions are as intellectual or feeling there.

The reason I like this site is that we go beyond weight, that we talk about the whole person. For example, I have an autistic son, and I've been able to talk about that with people who have the same situation. That makes a huge difference in my mindset and consequently my health.

I guarantee you I would not have lost that 120 lbs without this site. I know it gets slow, especially in summer, and maybe eventually it may die. It definitely made a difference in so many people' s lives though - what more can you ask for?

Cheryl